the PhilippinesProvides information about natural landscapes, the climate, tropical animals and tropical fruit & vegetables in the Philippines. Special attention is paid to the volcanoes Pinatubo and Mount Mayon, the danger of the typhoons and the advantages of Geo-energy.

Historical Background: 2,000 years ago and earlier, people from all over southeast Asia—including Hindu and Buddhist civilizations—migrated into the many islands known today as Indonesia. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Islam spread through the archipelago by way of the merchant trade routes and eventually dominated the culture. By 1750, the Netherlands had established territorial control. In 1949, after a brief Japanese rule during World War II, Indonesia achieved independence from the Netherlands. In recent times Indonesia has faced a variety of obstacles. In 1998, economic problems fueled protests resulting in the resignation of long time president, General Suharto. Violent clashes between Muslims and Christians on Maluku Island have claimed over 2,500 lives. Plus, in East Timor, the fight for independence from Indonesia has spawned uprisings between pro-Indonesia and pro-independence factions.

TRENDS AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Understanding the trends and social issues of a particular country should always take into consideration the opinions of persons within the country. We are looking for contributors to add to our appreciation and understanding of Indonesian culture, potential, trends and critical issues.

The world press has reported on the conflicts regarding the difficulties facing President Abdurrahman Wahid elected in 1999 by the People’s Consultive Assembly. Some of the issues include: the regional, ethnic, religious an economic tensions in East Timor, Jakarta and the Aceh and Irian Jaya regions, the alleged human rights violations by the Indonesian military, the transition to elected government from the recently abandoned dictator system, and the economic concerns including the newly mandated banking reforms.

Ricklefs, M.C. (2002). A History of Modern Indonesia Since C. 1200. Stanford University Press. This standard work on the history of Indonesia has been thoroughly revised to incorporate the findings of recent research to bring the story up to date. This edition is the first to be illustrated.

Despite governments' efforts to prevent female infanticide, girls in Asia still faces bias, even before birth. 100 million baby girls are missing in Asia in this generation. And that's the conservative figure! By 2020 in China alone there will be 25 million men of marrying age without a partner. The problem is the traditional preference for baby boys. In 2020 there will be 40 million more little boys than little girls running around.

India's 2011 census shows a serious decline in the number of girls under the age of seven - activists fear eight million female foetuses may have been aborted in the past decade. The BBC's Geeta Pandey in Delhi explores what has led to this crisis.

Former Tianamen Square Leader, Chai Ling, spoke at a press conference on 1/18/2011 about the consequences of China's 1-child policy. Every day 35,000 forced or coerced abortions take place and hundreds of children and women are trafficked into slavery. "It is a Tiananmen massacre taking place every hour" says Chai.

Despite governments' efforts to prevent female infanticide, girls in Asia still faces bias, even before birth. 100 million baby girls are missing in Asia in this generation. And that's the conservative figure! By 2020 in China alone there will be 25 million men of marrying age without a partner. The problem is the traditional preference for baby boys. In 2020 there will be 40 million more little boys than little girls running around.

Shinto, as a religion, has no founder. It is said to date back to prehistoric times. Myths and legends surrounding the creation of the nation of Japan are thought to be the foundations for this socio-religious institution.